A new tradition: The Christmas bong

In Los Angeles, authorities uncovered a giant shipment of bongs -- 316,000 of 'em -- being shipped into the country from China. The manifest described them as "Christmas ornaments." I'm just trying to picture a Christmas tree bedecked with nothing but bongs.

Indoor pot-growing operation was 25 feet from LAPD station, police say

It's not clear how long they were in operation, but it sounds like a fairly elaborate setup. They even had insulation to keep the pot smell indoors -- only there must have been a crack because officers eventually caught a whiff.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, cripjak!

Wichita couple calls 911 over stolen pot, police say

I've lost count of how many people have called 911, thinking it was a good idea to report their illegal drugs have been stolen.

Grandpa is smoking a different kind of pipe

From The Washington Post: The government's most recent survey showed that the share of marijuana users ages 50 to 59 increased from 5.1 percent in 2002 to almost 10 percent in 2007.

Iowa considering medical marijuana?

If so, it's still in the very early stages. The state Board of Pharmacy recently held a series of public meetings on the topic, trying to get scientific information about the issue. Their recommendation would be a big first step for legalization activists.

Parents hope son's heroin overdose

From KMBC:

Dorman and Debbie Hayes of Johnson County hope the death of their son Brett from a heroin overdose can be used to warn others. The drug is making its way into the suburbs. About 18 months ago, officers around Johnson County started finding heroin with more of the overdose victims being high school students.

"There has to be something good out of Brett's death." Debbie Hayes said. "If we can help other parents, if we can help another kid not lose his life, then that's what we're going to do."

| Bob Cronkleton

High on K2

And by K2, we mean the synthetic substance that strangely resembles marijuana, but isn't illegal. (Sorry, other K2.) David Klepper has a piece about K2 here and how a Kansas legislator is moving to outlaw it. JoCo says it's already starting to see more people carrying it during arrests. (KSHB had a piece a few days ago here.) It must be a relatively new thing -- I did some Googling and couldn't find much on it, not even a Wikipedia page, only a few mentions on drug-related boards, asking if it shows up during drug tests.

Would you report your child for growing pot?

In Troy, Mich., a father called the police to report his 16-year-old daughter, who was allegedly growing a marijuana plant in her closet. It's not clear from the story whether the girl has a history of drug use, but I wondered what most people would do in that situation. I figure most people, if they caught their kid with a joint, would probably institute a grounding or hobbling BEFORE they got the justice system involved.

Yankee pitcher's mom pleads no-contest to drug rap

From AP: In this booking photo released by the Lincoln (Neb.) Police Dept., on Monday, May 4, 2009, Jacqueline Standley is shown. The mother of New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain faces up to 20 years in prison on a felony drug-sale charge. The Lincoln Journal Star reported Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2009, that Jackie Standley pleaded no contest Monday to delivery of a controlled substance in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Lincoln, Neb. Police Dept)

Ark. lawyer sold meth from home-office, police allege

Kathee Baird's Crime Scene blog brings up the grisly mugshot ...

"I want to know how this guy didn't blow up"

Georgia authorities arrest a man who, they say, was cooking meth while driving.

Jackson County to test anti-meth database

The county is getting a software program, MethShield, that will track sales of cold medicines with pseudoephedrine at some local stores, Mike Mansur reports. (Not all retailers are agreeing to participate.) The idea is that police can see who's buying too much cold medicine -- one of the tipoffs that someone is producing meth. The county is getting a free trial, as a way to show that MethShield works.

In Washington, Mo., they've tried a completely different tactic: Citizens have to get doctor's prescriptions before they can buy what used to be over-the-counter meds. It's more of a pain for the public, but officials in Oregon say it's helped stop meth production there.

It's too early to say which method most communities are going to adopt. The Missouri AG says he supports the prescription-only laws and is gathering support from the state's prosecutors. Keep in mind -- the software programs will only work if the stores make reports and if law-enforcement has the manpower to follow up. Unfortunately, the prescription-only rule might be more of a hassle for you and me, but it might do more good and require less official effort.

"Full House" star used "Just Say No" cash to buy drugs

Jodie Sweetin, who played the middle daughter on "Full House," says she was using the money made as a "Just Say No" spokeswoman to support her meth and coke habit. (She'd been on drugs, gotten clean, got the Say No gig, then relapsed.)

UPDATE: Mo. town requires prescriptions for some cold meds

The Post-Dispatch has a report from Washington, Mo., where the city started requiring prescriptions for cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine. In the first three months, the sale of those products dropped 92 percent compared to a similar time frame in 2008. Local officials are cheering this as proof they were right to pass the law.

The story doesn't say whether that's translating into fewer meth labs or a reduced number of meth arrests.

100 pounds of pot found in I-35 traffic stop

From Olathe PD: On Sunday, October 18th at approximately 7:32 pm an Olathe Police Department K9 unit was requested to respond to the area of I-35 near I-435 to assist the Kansas Highway Patrol on a traffic stop. Prior to the stop, the vehicle was observed by a KHP Trooper traveling north on I-35 just south of I-435.

The vehicle stopped was occupied by one male subject. Upon arrival, the Olathe K-9 (Igor) alerted to the vehicle and a subsequent search revealed approximately 100 pounds of marijuana concealed within the vehicle. The male subject was arrested and eventually charged with Felony possession of Marijuana.

Chinese-Mexican businessman allegedly admits to selling meth chemical

Zhenli Ye Gon, who was arrested after police found a $205 million stash of cash in his Mexico City mansion, allegedly told U.S. prosecutors that he sold chemical used to make methamphetamine.

Here's the AP story.

| Bob Cronkleton

Why people on PCP take off their clothes

At the Citizens Police Academy last night, one of the speakers mentioned that people on PCP often take off their clothes because their body temperatures can reach 105 degrees. I knew about the nudity, but had always assumed it was because, well, they were just being nutty. But 105 degrees? That's just a few degrees short of bursting into flames and joining the Fantastic Four.

Also, they love breaking glass. Love it, love it, love it -- for all I know, it gives them warm fuzzies, similar to what normals feel when they pet a kitten. (Actually, our teacher said, that tends to be true for hallucinogens generally.)

Opium, Afghanistan's other big problem

Well, it's not a problem for the people growing and selling the drug -- opium is still a major crop in Afghanistan. The U.N., though, estimates that 100,000 people die from using Afghan opium every year. The market for Afghan opium, heroin or morphine is about $65 billion per year, officials say. A lot of that money ends up in terrorist hands, they say.

Bong water counts as a drug, Minn. court rules

The Minnesota Supreme Court, the highest court in the state, says that bong water is technically a controlled substance. (They were ruling on a case where police seized a bong full of water, and the water had meth in it.) Best Part: "A narcotics officer testified that drug users sometimes keep bong water to drink later."

People on meth say the darnedest things

From Panama City's News Herald:

After that confession, one of the couple’s neighbors accused them of cooking meth around their baby.

“She is crazy,” Moore replied. “I have not smoked meth for four days.”

Pregnant lady does drugs -- can we jail her to save the baby?

A Texas woman was on probation when she tested positive for meth. Complicating matters was her pregnancy. To save the baby's life, the authorities put her in jail, then a correctional treatment center. Her lawyers now argue that (A) she was treated more harshly simply because she had a bun in the oven and that (B) putting her behind bars was wrong. (They say the conditions were too harsh for a pregnant woman.)

The authorities say they had a compelling interest to protect the unborn kiddo's health. Critics say it could lead more women in trouble to get abortions.

"Big Brother" winner used prize money for drugs, police say

I'm terribly surprised. I thought he'd use the money to buy books.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Jay Tee!

Wis. mom taught son how to shoot heroin, police say

And that's partly why the teenager is now dead. Snip from the Journal-Sentinel:

According to the complaint, Patricia Strosina admitted to using heroin and OxyContin, a prescription pain medication, but she said she and her son were "getting off" heroin. She also admitted taking him with her to Milwaukee to buy heroin and said the last time she used the drug with her son was the weekend before his death.

She said on one occasion, after a drug buy, that she shot heroine while driving before passing it to her son in the back seat so he could use the drug.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV

Photo via AP

Things get cloudier for medical marijuana

The White House has issued new guidelines to the Justice Department on medical marijuana: As long as someone is following their state's law on medical marijuana, it's not worth prosecuting them on the federal level, the administration says. That's not to say the feds CAN'T prosecute -- the guideline just says it should be a very low priority.

Don't break out the hacky sack just yet, hippies. The district attorney for Los Angeles says he plans to shut down every dispensary that's selling medical marijuana for profit. (Most of them, it sounds like.)

UPDATE: A California judge has temporarily blocked Los Angeles' move to ban medical-marijuana dispensaries.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

As plain as the bag of weed on your face

In Pennsylvania, police arrested a man who reportedly had a bag of weed stuck to his forehead. (A lot of folks tend to hide their pot in their hats.)